MOST CHILDREN NO longer read The Pilgrim’s Progress, but some still learn Bunyan’s stern hymn To Be a Pilgrim — as well as the rather more fashionable Lord of the Dance.

Puritanism’s spirit is alive in both the evangelical Christian and Muslim faiths — so it is no surprise to find children’s authors reflecting this by writing novels set in the 17th century. Last year Sally Gardner’s I, Coriander fiercely rejected Puritan austerity. Ann Turnbull’s No Shame, No Fear (2003) was, by contrast, a defence of it. Set in 1662, it tells how 17-year-old Will, the son of a wealthy merchant, defies his father and falls in love with a Quaker girl, Susanna.

The sequel, Forged in the Fire, follows the progress of their lives and love when Will, now a Quaker himself, travels from Shropshire to London to learn about the book trade. He arrives in 1665 — in time for the plague and the Great Fire.

It is hard to love Puritanism if, like many children, you love colour, music and a bit of luxury, but what is wonderful about Turnbull’s novels is that she takes you so deeply inside her heroes’ feelings that you increasingly sympathise with their beliefs. The narrative is told in alternate chapters. They are advised to wait before they wed, and their passionate longing for each other aches with the strength and pain of being young, and is far sexier than a hundred novels about modern teenagers.

Yet this is not only a love story but a historical novel rich with domestic detail and facts about the book trade at a time of crisis. Will’s friends are imprisoned and die of the plague; he is imprisoned and catches a fever, his master dies and leaves him his business.

Quakers are defenceless when disaster comes because they are at the mercy of the law. The “Friends” are eager to emigrate to America, but many are dying in prison because they refuse to fight or to pay the fine demanded for church tithes. It is impossible not to be impressed by the unwavering determination with which they defended what is now a sacred part of British identity — freedom of religionand expression. The Quakers, who were particularly involved in printing, publishing and bookselling, championed this with quiet heroism, and went on to found much that is best about America. As Susanna’s friend Dan tells them, they are like iron and “must go through the fire . . . And through our suffering we have changed and grown strong in spirit.”

The plague progresses and, as Londoners pray for God’s mercy, markets, shops and taverns close. Terrified by Will’s silence, Susanna travels alone to find her beloved in a stinking city where he is being tempted by the daughter of a rich merchant, who shares his love of music and laughter.

Quaker women were slandered as “whores” because they believed that they did not need to be married in a church, but only before witnesses of like faith. Susanna and Will finally marry and when she becomes pregnant she courageously takes steps to heal the rift with his father. This is just as well because, once the Great Fire approaches, the couple are once again separated while Will and his friend Nat save their precious stock of books. Compassion and love win through.

Both No Shame, No Fear and Forged in the Fire are written in plain, direct language that is as honest and engaging as its characters. Their passionate intelligence and moral integrity will engage thoughtful readers of 12+ at a deep level. Compared with the colourful, fizzing fantasies that people expect children to enjoy, Turnbull’s novels are as refreshing as a drink of pure spring water.

I, CORIANDER (11+)
by Sally Gardner, Orion, £8.99
Magical tale of a young girl persecuted by her Puritan stepmother and an evil fairy Queen.

THE MERRYBEGOT (10+)
by Julie Hearn, OUP, £5.99
Nell must escape the Witch-finder’s wiles.

THE CHILDREN OF THE NEW FOREST (10+)
by Captain Marryat Wordsworth, £1.50
Classic tale of Cavalier family surviving the Civil War with the help of an old forester.

CAVALIER AND PURITAN FASHIONS (8+)
by Tom Tierney Dover, £3.95
Excellent picture book. What’s more...

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